LOTRO: Wildwood, Deeds and Virtues
I recently logged into the MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online with the intention of completing Update 30: Blood of Azog. I got as far as some of the wrapper quests which set up the main story and then I lost interest when I reflected upon the content ahead. I tire of some of the excessively dour regions one has to play through in LOTRO, although I realise they are fully lore appropriate. LOTRO is also one of those games where I frequently struggle to see what is going on if there is low lighting. In such instances I have to tinker with the video settings to try and improve things. So with all this in mind, I decided instead of participating in the Battle of Azanulbizar, I would go and visit the Wildwood region in Bree-land which was added to the game in April. Now you may ask why take a level cap Lore-master to a zone that has content at level 45? Well the answer is simple. There are deeds to be completed.
For those who are unfamiliar with the deed system in LOTRO, each region of the game, such as The Shire, Bree-land or Wildwood has a set of deeds available for completion. These range from visiting key locations, slaying specific amounts of foes and completing a fixed number of quests. Upon completing any deed you are awarded “virtue experience” which is tied to the virtue trait system. Virtues traits grant bonuses to your character's base stats. The player can slot five at a time, usually picking those they deem appropriate for their class. Therefore, the discerning player can choose one of their five virtues and then undertake specific deeds to level it to 75 which is the current cap. You then repeat the process until you’ve levelled all of your equipped traits. It’s not as if you’ll run out of deeds. The game is rife with them.
It took 48 hours to play through the main content in Wildwood. As ever with LOTRO, it is the story driving the questlines that made the experience enjoyable. I like the fact that you can start the zone by either helping the Woodcutter's Brotherhood in Trestlebridge Gate or League of the Axe at Trader's Wharf in Evendim. The Wildwood itself is not difficult to traverse and is green and leafy, making it a pleasant environment to quest in. Too often the developers at Standing Stone Games go out of their way to make navigating a zone very esoteric. While undertaking the various quests in the area, I maintained a policy of “kill everything” and it didn’t take too long for the deeds to rack up. I didn’t even bother using a deed accelerator. Hence by the time I finished the region I was at maximum reputation with both factions and had increased two of my five virtue traits to level 75 (they were previously 72).
Playing content above level does have some advantages. Not having to worry about combat allows you time to focus on the story and enjoy the environment that you’re travelling in. LOTRO is a game where zones are often densely populated with mobs. To the point that you feel that it’s been done just to try and slow you down. However, LOTRO does something that other MMOS don’t. It has a peculiar mechanic in which if you’re several levels above the mobs, they ignore you. You can stand right next to them and they behave as if you’re not there. It makes taking screenshots a lot easier. It certainly made completing Wildwoods quicker. Overall, it has been a productive and entertaining endeavour. My virtue traits have increased plus I have bought two additional “return to” skills (Trestlebridge and Traders Wharf) from the faction quartermasters. I suppose it’s now time to move on to Update 30.
